to

he sits, as hes done countless long nights alone and in a dank musty With each strike of his ball-peen comes an and an echo that seems to ring forever. Slowly, his takes and formit as an blob of metal and plastic, soon it was into an eerie ette, then . . Brilliant and but a bit crazed, he is before his time: a social misfit who belongs to science nor to fiction. He is the robot and all wants to do is make a that serves drinks at parties and wakes him up the Okay, maybe this is a dark view of the robotics you may find a dash of the in it, the picture isnt Its a view held many outsiders to the crafta view more than years old, from the when the of building a first came within Like it or not, if you want to build youre an oddball, an get it all outa little on the weird As a robot youre not unlike Victor the old-world doctor Mary Shelleys immortal thriller. Instead of robbing graves in the still of you rob flea and surplus outlets in your all kinds and sizes of gears, wires, switches, and other Like Dr. you galvanize life from these dead

What the Adventure

Just starting out building your first robot? Youre in for a wonderful ride! Watching your ation do as simple as scoot the floor or table can be

ROBOTICS!

Amateur robots can take forms and sizes: mobile (moving) robots wheels, tracks, or legs for propulsion; and grippers allow the robot to its environment. (Includes photos cour and

you may not immediately share your but you know that youve your own hands and If youre one of the lucky few who has already a working bot, then you the Im talking about. You know how thrilling it is to see your robot obey as if it were a trusted You know the time and effort that went into your marvel, like the ones in the picture in Figure 1-1all are hobby others may not always it (especially when it marks up the kitchen with its rubber tires), youre satisfied with the Youre looking forward to next And if youve built a you also know of the and that come the You know that not every design works, and that even a simple flaw can cost weeks of effort, not to ruined This book will help robot alikeget the most out of your robotics

Why Build
wanted to build my first robot the saw the sci-fi movie classic The Day the Still (the original, mind you, not the Many have gotten the Bot Building from watching movies, like Star or No where the comes from, there are many to build your Here are just a few of

ROBOTICS IS A KEYSTONE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

recently a new As went its feature list was at all the things it could doand how many of them were we robot builders were ing with over a Robotics is a natural test bed for new ideas. Robot builders have been the

WHY BUILD ROBOTS?

The modern microcontroller, like this Arduino, provides an amount of computational power for controlling a

to play with digital voice tronic global satellite solid-state ers, vision tactile and many other Whats all of this is available at low cost. The board in Figure 1-2 costs less than a dinner for two and rivals the thinking power of the puter that put Apollo on the be learning lots more about this in 37, Using the youre a a or an working for a with robotics gives you ample to the the world will be using

ROBOTICS AS A GATEWAY TO A CAREER

Still going to school? Havent yet decided what you want to do with your life? Believe it or building a robot can lead the Robotics involves dozens of sciences and design behavioral studies, ecology and the biology, and much You dont need to be an expert in these fields just to build a You can your studies on those things that most interest you, using your robot as a doorway to ing your

ROBOTICS TO

RESCUE

Science fiction has long the robot as evileither on its own or as the minion of a scientist. Yet it turns out robots may be a way for to live longer Robots can venture where cant, or dont want to, go. Send a bot into a mine shaft, or to the of the or to the dusty surface of Mars. get the and it doesnt need air or McDonalds A bomb-sniffing robot can save the lives of many It can locate the explosive defuse it much more safely than Robots can act as nurses and even to those with highly way the

ROBOTICS!

Kids to robots in ways that can actually help them to develop skills. There are even some robots used as for children with certain learning and

MOST OF

ROBOTICS IS

Its okay to build robots just for kicks. yourself to a new and enjoy a hobby shared by many others Share your designs on a blog or forum. Enter a to see whose robot is fastest Post a video of your robot on and show it

The Building-Block
Robots are made of many individual parts that act as modules or So a great to learn about robots is to individual then them to make a finished, fully functional The robots you are made from building blocks, so making and them is relatively simple. When designed and the building blocks, like those in Figure 1-3, may be shared a variety of To save time and its not unusual to reuse parts as you with new robot Most of the building-block designs in this book are working Some without ever being to robot or control The way you nect the modules is up to you. You can ment with each part, altering it and upon it. When it works the way you want, it into your robot or save it for a

Lower Costs, Better

robotics used to be time Weak brains what the finished robot could do. No robots are cost. Its possible to build a fairly ticated robot for less than with only ordinary tools. Similar robots used cost or and required gear to Thanks to cialty and prefab its easier to robots by putting

The basic building blocks of a fully functional robot include a computer control or central processor, a drive system for mobility, various

YOU NEED

More

add faster and easier a PC with a USB port, you can start working with a few dollars and can control an entire

and to other

with If you cost

Skills You
You dont have to be an expert in it. Which of these best describes and design to build Far

Im just If youre an absolute raw in all things My First lessons found on the RBB Online site (see The lessons give you for building the RBB (runs on its own) Youll learn about the

start with A for an of

I have or Plow straight to the tion guides and how-tos that follow. This book is into parts so that you can up on your skills and as you Im an If you are already versed in and well on your way to a robot You can read in the order you There are plenty of help you the

Electronic circuits are what make your robots thinking You dont need of to enjoy creating You can start with simple circuits with minimum of As your skills youll be able to (at the least) customize circuits to match your This book doesnt include much in the way of just practical as it relates to building bots. If youre looking for detailed college-level on ics, check out any local library and do a Web for books and Many of the circuits in this book are in diagram form, a kind of blueprint for the parts of the circuit are If youve never seen a you can read up them in Part 5 of this book, plus the My First lessons (see A, RBB which includes a whirlwind to you can see how road map to actual of a circuit you can build Figure 1-4 for an There are really only about a dozen and you can learn what you need to know with just an evening of The parts for the electronic projects in this book are all selected to be widely available decided not to include vendor part numbers right in the book these can change quickly. Instead, you can the Online Support site (see Appendix A) for updated lists of used in this book and where to get them. also find direct links to many partsjust click youre

ROBOTICS!

Schematics are like road maps for building only need to learn about common symbols, and well on your way to building typical robot circuit.

Modern robots use a find plenty of of several kinds of Like all relatively new to cepts: The

or to their In this book youll plans, and solutions for the of your robot to robot the ones for robot control need to be If you are new and start with 36, None of the projects in this book require or

MECHANICAL
Some robot builders are more with the side of robot building than or sidesthey can see gears and pulleys moving. As you dont need an extensive of and theory build This book provides several robot designs using a variety of to plastic to If youre a youll find tips on what tools to use and the best materials for your robot If youre one of those who just hate the idea of cutting a piece of wood, or drilling plastic, theres good news: youll find plenty of mail-order sources for robot You still need to assemble things, but you can get by with just a These sources are listed in B, as well as the book and on the Online site in

To be a successful robot builder, you should be working with your Even if you dont build your own robot bodies start to finish, youll need to assemble the parts basic

DO

KITS, OR READY-MADE?

If you feel your ies) in Part 2. You can Youll find shop

skills arent up to par, try one of the basic robot a robot body made with wood, plastic, or tips and this book, but With comes and with both come

TWO VERY IMPORTANT

So far, Ive talked about basic skills that are desirable for the hobby robotics field. There skills that you develop from reading books: they are and the willingness to Be Give yourself time to with your Dont rush into things, else youre bound to make If a to nag at you, put the aside and let it sit for a few days. Keep a small handy and jot down your ideas you wont forget Be to learn new If trouble maybe you need to study more you can tackle the Be willing to go beyond this book and discover things on own. is in

Do It Yourself, Kits, or
Theres never been a better time to be an robot builder. Not only can you robots from you can buy any of several dozen robot kits and assemble them a screwdriver and other

MAKE YOUR
This book is chock full of robot projects made from wood, plastic, and metal. One of robots you can build is shown in Figure 1-5. This one is the from Build Robots with Legs. takes about a day on your shop requires only basic Or you can try building a robotic arm, with for each joint. 28, with Robotic Arms, for a project you can make in your in 29, with Robotic give your a hand and

Using the right materials tools, it takes a day or less to construct homemade robot like this one. The Hex3Bot uses easy-to-cut

ROBOTICS!

the mechanics of robotics isnt your forte, you can by using a platform. one is designed to the principles of robot (Photo courtesy iRobot

READY-MADE
you dont particularly like the of you can robot assembly With a robot you can spend all your to it and figuring out new and better ways to it. An the iRobot shown in Figure 1-6. Its like the iRobots but without the vacuum Its as a mobile robot platform for and

is

O PARTS
You know the Erector setthis toy provides the for all kinds of buildings, bridges, cars, and other things. The traditional Erector uses lightweight metal girders of different sizes, plus steel to put it all Several specialty robotics have taken the Erector set one step the idea to handle the unique issues of robot building. Their kits can be used fully functional or you can the bits and pieces to your custom These arent exactly but theyre and to Here are four of the more parts kits specifically for building

VEX Aimed at both the and the hobbyist the VEX system is based Erector set style of predrilled girders and Most parts are traditional of screws and nuts. What sets VEX apart is that its pieces especially designed for small Kits come with made to fit the girder gears, wheels, and many other Erector The Servo Erector Set from is of various brackets and other for the of servo You can nect these brackets to a traditional robot base to build a rolling or walking or them to tubes, hubs, and to fashion free-form

DO

KITS, OR READY-MADE?

The Bioloid robotic sets are for serious robot building. Using a of metal and plastic Bioloid pieces can be to both wheeled walking bots, as well as fully functional and arms. The sets include special digital plus a central for all

FIRST (For and of Science and is an by inventor Dean of Segway fame, to develop ways to inspire young in the fields of and The hosts national such as the FIRST Tech (FTC), where teams of students are required to build, gram, and a robot that a certain task. The task for each to keep things In order to provide a level playing field for all FIRST limits robot to kit of parts; the latest kit is by giant Pitsco. the case of the FIRST Tech the kit metal and other building you like the parts that come with the latest competition kits, you can purchase separately without going through the and do search for Their channels and brackets are designed to interface with R/C and DC motors (see Figure 1-7) and can be used for all kinds of nifty

PROJECTS TO MATCH YOUR SKILLS

you to buy a robot in ground up, be sure to match your skills to the or kit form, or build your own from This is especially true if you are

Some assembly required: precut and predrilled parts allow you to construct robots piecing together metal or plastic components. (Photo courtesy Education.)

ROBOTICS!

starting out. While you may seek the ent skills and level youll likely youve given it a fair

of a and

if its beyond your robotics

Thinking Like a Robot

Robot have a unique way of looking at things. They take for At a its the robot who collects the of lobsters and to learn how these use articulated joints, in which the muscles and are the Maybe the lobster leg can be duplicated in the design of a arm . . At a county fair, its the robot who studies the way the works, watching the various gears spin in perfect unison. the gear train can duplicated in an unusual robot system . . While flipping on the TV, its the robot who thinks that if control can a television, the same can be applied to a robot . . When washing hands in a lavatory, its the robot who studies faucet The water is turned on and off when the come near the sink. Could the same system be to a enabling it to distances and see things in front of it? . . The list is endless. All us, from natures designs to the latest infinite ways to make better and more these requires out how to apply one design and make it work And thats what the robot builder is especially good